Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

Evangelism refers to the sharing of the Christian gospel, which Whitney stresses is a duty for all Christians; indeed, he numbers it among the spiritual disciplines. This emphasis reflects the book’s evangelical orientation, as this form of Christianity traditionally prioritizes evangelism (hence its name). Thus, Whitney urges Christians to be prepared to broach the topic of faith directly, even if their evangelism generally manifests in quieter ways (e.g., modeling a Christian life).

In its Christian usage, fellowship designates the actions and events that occur in the context of other-centered activities with fellow believers. For Whitney, fellowship specifically refers to communal contexts among Christians where one’s attention is focused on God: “By fellowship I do not mean socializing […]. Biblical fellowship […] involves talking about God and the things of God” (225). It is an important element of Whitney’s message about Balancing Inward and Outward Disciplines, particularly in the context of evangelical Christianity, which tends to emphasize the individual experience of faith. Whitney thus stresses that the two sides of Christian practice are mutually reinforcing, with solitary disciplines better equipping the believer for communal ones, and vice versa.